System and method for managing restaurant customer data elements

ABSTRACT

This invention is a system and method for managing restaurant customer data elements.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of and claims priority topatent application Ser. No. 13/534,195, titled System And Method ForManaging Restaurant Customer Data Elements, filed on Jun. 27, 2012,which is a continuation of patent application Ser. No. 10/642,841,titled system And Method For Managing Restaurant Customer Data Elements,filed on Aug. 18, 2003, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 8,224,700, issued onJul. 17, 2012, which claims priority to provisional patent applicationNo. 60/404,462, titled System And Methods For SupportingCustomer-Managed Processes And Technologies In The Hospitality FoodService (Restaurant) Industry, filed on Aug. 19, 2002. The entirecontents of each of these applications is incorporated in their entiretyby reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention generally relates to customer service managementsystems and methods, and more specifically to restaurant customerservice management systems and methods.

STATEMENT OF A PROBLEM ADDRESSED BY THIS INVENTION

Interpretation Considerations

This section describes the technical field in more detail, and discussesproblems encountered in the technical field. This section does notdescribe prior art as defined for purposes of anticipation orobviousness under 35 U.S.C. section 102 or 35 U.S.C. section 103. Thus,nothing stated in the Statement of a Problem Addressed by This Inventionis to be construed as prior art.

DISCUSSION

The restaurant and hospitality industry is rapidly changing as a resultof the change in the demographics of its customer base and theintroduction of new technology. The traditional restaurant experience inwhich a customer partakes is similar to a model that has been employedfor hundreds of years.

The current generation of restaurant customers and operators label thismodel as antiquated. The current generation of restaurant customers isgenerally educated, highly competent with technology, and considers timeas a valuable commodity. These customers are often impatient and enjoycontinuous and interactive entertainment while waiting to be seated orwhile waiting for a meal to be prepared.

Unfortunately, current restaurant systems, although proven, do not meetthe changing needs of this new customer base. Restaurants antiquatedsystems are cumbersome, lack modern technology, and do not provideentertainment during waiting periods. Furthermore, they are verydependent on management and control from restaurant staff.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various aspects of the invention, as well as at least one embodiment,are better understood by reference to the following EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTOF A BEST MODE. To better understand the invention, the EXEMPLARYEMBODIMENT OF A BEST MODE should be read in conjunction with thedrawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a restaurant customer management system;

FIG. 2 illustrates a pre-dining method;

FIG. 3 illustrates a dining method;

FIG. 4 illustrates a post-dining method;

FIG. 5 illustrates a post-dining method spilt bill act;

FIG. 6 illustrates a cafeteria method;

FIG. 7 illustrates a prior art checkout procedure;

FIG. 8 illustrates a self-checkout procedure; and

FIG. 9 illustrates a further checkout procedure.

AN EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT OF A BEST MODE

Interpretation Considerations

When reading this section (An Exemplary Embodiment of a Best Mode, whichdescribes an exemplary embodiment of the best mode of the invention,hereinafter “exemplary embodiment”), one should keep in mind severalpoints. First, the following exemplary embodiment is what the inventorbelieves to be the best mode for practicing the invention at the timethis patent was filed. Thus, since one of ordinary skill in the art mayrecognize from the following exemplary embodiment that substantiallyequivalent structures or substantially equivalent acts may be used toachieve the same results in exactly the same way, or to achieve the sameresults in a not dissimilar way, the following exemplary embodimentshould not be interpreted as limiting the invention to one embodiment.

Likewise, individual aspects (sometimes called species) of the inventionare provided as examples, and, accordingly, one of ordinary skill in theart may recognize from a following exemplary structure (or a followingexemplary act) that a substantially equivalent structure orsubstantially equivalent act may be used to either achieve the sameresults in substantially the same way, or to achieve the same results ina not dissimilar way.

Accordingly, the discussion of a species (or a specific item) invokesthe genus (the class of items) to which that species belongs as well asrelated species in that genus. Likewise, the recitation of a genusinvokes the species known in the art. Furthermore, it is recognized thatas technology develops, a number of additional alternatives to achievean aspect of the invention may arise. Such advances are herebyincorporated within their respective genus, and should be recognized asbeing functionally equivalent or structurally equivalent to the aspectshown or described.

Second, the only essential aspects of the invention are identified bythe claims. Thus, aspects of the invention, including elements, acts,functions, and relationships (shown or described) should not beinterpreted as being essential unless they are explicitly described andidentified as being essential. Third, a function or an act should beinterpreted as incorporating all modes of doing that function or act,unless otherwise explicitly stated (for example, one recognizes that“tacking” may be done by nailing, stapling, gluing, hot gunning,riveting, etc., and so a use of the word tacking invokes stapling,gluing, etc., and all other modes of that word and similar words, suchas “attaching”). Fourth, unless explicitly stated otherwise, conjunctivewords (such as “or”, “and”, “including”, or “comprising” for example)should be interpreted in the inclusive, not the exclusive, sense. Fifth,the words “means” and “step” are provided to facilitate the reader'sunderstanding of the invention and do not mean “means” or “step” asdefined in § 112, paragraph 6 of 35 U.S.C., unless used as “means for—functioning—” or “step for —functioning—” in the Claims section.

Discussion of the Figures

The invention can be characterized as a method and system that enables arestaurant to identify a customer, collect customer data elements, storecustomer data elements in an electronic repository, and provide customertracking. In addition, the invention provides customer managed food andbeverage ordering, customer infotainment, customer managed payment,customer managed purchase of post-dining entertainment, and customerreporting and real time access to customer data. In a preferredembodiment, the method may be implemented as a system that identifies,stores, tracks, provides ordering, infotainment, post-diningentertainment, and reporting, in a platform such as a software program,for example. In an alternative embodiment, the method may be embodied asmultiple software systems that work together to identify, store, track,and provide ordering, infotainment, payment, and post-diningentertainment, and reporting.

Features and advantages of the invention can be better understood byreviewing FIG. 1, which illustrates a restaurant customer managementsystem 100 that identifies a customer, collects customer data elements,stores customer data elements in an electronic repository, providescustomer data element tracking, a customer managed ordering means,infotainment, a customer operated payment means, customer ordering ofpost-dining entertainment, and customer reporting and real time accessto customer data elements. The restaurant customer management system(RCMS) 100 comprises at least one customer unit 110 and a restaurant 120having at least a pre-dining system 122, or a dining system 124, or apost-dining system 126.

A single piece of data is a data element, such as a surname, a phonenumber, a beverage preference, a desert preference, or an entréepreference for example. A collection of data elements are a record. Adata element that has been adapted, modified, processed, or queried is adata element result, such as a report that illustrates a list of familysurnames that prefer a beverage type, for example.

The customer unit 110 is any person that requests at least one serviceat a restaurant 120 such as a reservation, food and/or beverage service,or entertainment, for example. Preferably, a customer unit 110 is acollection of people such as a family, a group of friends, a group ofbusiness colleagues, or a group of co-workers, for example. Peopleinclude children and adults.

The restaurant 120 is any entity that provides food, beverage, and/orentertainment services to a customer unit 110. Restaurants may be subentities in hospitality institutions, however, are more commonlyembodied as curb side, brick and mortar establishments. Hospitalityestablishments include, but are not limited to, hotels, casinos,resorts, and cruise ships, for example. Restaurants are companies thatare owned by a single owner or multiple owners. Restaurants may beindividual establishments or establishments that are part of a group,family, franchise or chain.

In a preferred embodiment, the RCMS 100 comprises at least one customerunit 110 and a restaurant 120 having a pre-dining system 122, a diningsystem 124, and a post-dining system 126. Alternatively, the RCMS 100may comprise at least one customer unit 110 and a restaurant 120 havingonly a post-dining system 126. In yet another embodiment, the RCMS 100may comprise at least one customer unit 110 and a restaurant having apre-dining system 122 and a post-dining system 126. It is apparent tothose skilled in the art that the RCMS 100 may include variouscombinations of systems.

The pre-dining system 122 is any system that identifies a customer unit110, manages reservations, manages queue assignment, pages a customerunit 110, and updates a table management system. In a preferredembodiment, customer unit 110 identification is accomplished by thecustomer unit 110 logging into the RCMS pre-dining system 122 by acredit card upon arrival at the restaurant 120, preferably via ahandheld terminal device. Customer identification may be alternativelyaccomplished via other identification information devices such as anRFID tag, fingerprint or retina scan, or by logging in with a user nameand password.

Terminal devices may include handheld computers, such as PersonalDigital Assistants (PDAs), palm-sized and clamshell computers, forexample. In addition, terminal devices include smart phones, mobilephones, wrist PDAs, thin clients, kiosks, tablet computers, desktopsPCs, internet appliances, and other device know to those skilled in theart, for example. Terminal devices may be wired or wireless enabled.

Once logged into the pre-dining system 122, a customer unit 110 recordis managed through a seating queue assignment. The queue assignmentprovides estimated wait time and pages a customer unit 110 when a tableis ready. Furthermore, the table management system (TMS) is updated withthe customer unit 110 table location and the customer unit 110 isremoved from the seating queue.

Alternatively, customer unit 110 identification may be accomplished bythe customer unit 110 announcing themselves to a Maitre d′, swiping asmart card, credit card, or VIP card, or logging in using a keypad ortouch screen into the restaurant customer management system via a kiosk,smart phone, mobile phone, or automatically being identified by othermeans such as Radio Frequency ID (RFID), retina or fingerprint scan, orvoice identification.

The dining system 124 is any system that provides an interactive menu,restaurant staff paging capabilities, meal preparation time estimates,and infotainment. In a preferred embodiment, the dining system 124 isoperated by the customer unit 110. Interactive menus are provided thatinclude food and beverage items currently available based on the time ofday, such as breakfast, lunch, or dinner, among other inputs such ascurrent product inventory, for example. In addition, restaurant staffmay be paged by a customer unit 110 as needed. Furthermore, mealpreparation time estimates are reported from a kitchen management system(KMS) to the terminal device, such that the customer unit 110 may trackthe amount of time remaining before their meal arrival. Lastly,infotainment may be provided while the customer unit 110 is waiting forhis or her meal, such as interactive games, live internet access, andemail, for example.

The post-dining system 126 is any system that provides customerself-checkout and payment processing, post-dining surveys, advancepurchase of post-dining entertainment, customer unit 110 profileupdating, and loyalty rewards. In a preferred embodiment, thepost-dining system 126 is operated and managed by the customer unit. Anitemized bill is presented to the customer unit 110 that may beretrieved from the restaurant Point of Sale (POS) terminal. The customerunit 110 may choose to split the bill between others or the customerunit 110 may pay for the bill in full. Gratuity may be added manually orby selecting a predefined percentage from a drop down list via agraphical user interface software system. In addition, the customer unit110 may pay for the bill using a credit card, smart card, ATM card, orother means such as cellular phones or RFID systems that are linked topayment facilities of the customer unit, for example. Furthermore, acard reader and/or other readers such as RFID may be directly integratedwithin the terminal device. Digital signature capture is used to closethe transaction.

The customer may complete a post-dining survey regarding the food,facilities, staff, or restaurant atmosphere, for example. The customerunit 110 may also purchase in advance a post-dining entertainment unitsuch as movie ticket, for example. The meal receipt, movie receipt,movie tickets, and loyalty rewards print after the customer profile isupdated. Loyalty rewards may include, a free desert at an affiliatedrestaurant, a free beverage at the current restaurant, or a discountedmovie ticket at a nearby theater, for example. A customer profile may beupdated with a new phone number, email, or street address, for example.

The restaurant 120 stores all of the customer unit 110 selections, ordata elements, collected through the pre-dining, dining, and post-diningsystem in a RCMS 100 database. Databases may include software systemssuch as Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, or DB2, for example. In addition,each customer unit 110 data element is tied to a customer unit 110record that the restaurant 120 may evaluate to improve service, offerdiscounts, or promote advertisements. The restaurant 120 may evaluatecustomer records, by reviewing reports that list data element results.Furthermore, a restaurant 120 may share data element results with otherrestaurants or consumer preference agencies.

FIG. 2 illustrates the pre-dining method 200. In a preferred embodiment,the customer initiates this process by searching for a restaurant viathe search act 210. The customer may choose to search for a restaurantby reviewing a list of restaurants online or via a telephone book.Alternatively, the customer may select a restaurant from memory based ona past experience. In yet another embodiment, the customer may log intoa special web portal providing a list of restaurants based on a set ofpreferences.

Once the customer arrives at the restaurant selected, the RCMSidentifies the customer through an identification act 220. Theidentification act 220 searches for a unique customer record dataelement, or key, in a database system. The key may be a phone number,surname, or credit card number for example. If no key is found, a newkey is created and tied to the customer through the new customer act225.

If a key is present and tied to an advance reservation, a reservationhandling act 230 notifies a queue assignment act 240 that a customerwith a reservation has arrived and is ready for a table. The queueassignment act 240 places the customer on the waiting list and queriesif a table is ready, through a table ready act 250.

If a key is present and not tied to an advance reservation, thereservation handling act 230 notifies the queue assignment act 240 thata customer without a reservation has arrived and is ready for a table.The queue assignment act 240 places on the waiting list and queries if atable is ready, through the table ready act 250.

In a preferred embodiment, if a table is ready, the table ready act 250will proceed to a page customer act 260, whereby the waiting customer ispaged and notified that a table is ready. In one embodiment, the pagecould be sent to the customer unit's mobile pager or a phone call couldbe originated to the customer unit's mobile telephone when the estimatedqueue period drops to a time either pre-set, or based on intelligentinformation such as the customer's current location gatheredelectronically via the Global Positioning System, the mobile telephonepositioning network, or other techniques. The location information maybe incorporated with other pertinent information as input to the queuingsystem to estimate the time it takes for the customer to return to therestaurant location and be on time when their reservation reaches thetop of the queue.

If a table is not ready, a queue recalculation act 255 recalculates theestimated wait time. Once a customer is paged via the page customer act260 and the page is accepted, the table management system (TMS) isupdated and the customer is assigned to an empty table via a updatetable act 270. The customer is then directed by the host or Maitre d′ tothe ready table, via a seat customer act 280.

FIG. 3 illustrates the dining method 300. In a preferred embodiment,once the customer is seated the dining method 300 is initiated.Preferably, the dining method 300 is managed by the customer on awireless enabled handheld computer. Once the dining method is initiatedan interactive menu is provided to the customer. The interactive menumay be customized based on data elements collected about the customer onprevious visits, such as preferences, for example, or based on the timeof day (breakfast, lunch, or dinner). The interactive menu is pushed tothe customer's terminal device via a menu generation act 310.

In a preferred embodiment, a menu generation act 310 occurs when thecustomer is being directed to their seat. The interactive menu isgenerated such that it may be subdivided into two sections. The firstsection may provide a list of previously ordered food and beverage itemsor recommended food or beverage items based on customer preference. Thesecond section may provide a list of menu items based on the time ofday. The interactive menu is sent wireless to a handheld computer forcustomer review. In an alternative embodiment, a terminal deviceintegrated within a table may display the menu.

Once the customer has reviewed the menu, he or she will manage theordering process via a customer managed ordering act 320 by placing afood and or beverage order directly to the kitchen order system (KOS).This is accomplished by selecting menus items on the terminal device andsubmitting the order. Each menu selection is customer data element thatis stored in the RCMS database along with the customer record.

Once the order is submitted, the KOS manages the meal preparation andinventory management through an order management act 330. In addition,the KOS tracks preparation time for each menu item and estimatescompletion time. In one embodiment, preparation time may be trackedutilizing RFID tagged plates or glasses that move from station tostation. Furthermore, the total preparation time may be stored in theRCMS database such that it may be queried to improve meal preparerperformance or to more accurately calculate meals requiring morepreparation time, for example.

The KOS is continually queried by the order management act 330 todetermine if a meal or collection of meals is ready. If a meal orcollection of meals is not ready KOS provides feedback to the ordermanagement act 330 via an order ready act 340. Furthermore, a queueestimate recalculation act 342 is initiated and a new time estimate ofwhen a meal or collection of meals is estimated to be ready is displayedto the customer. Simultaneously, through this process, the customer maybe entertained via an infotainment act 344. The infotainment actprovides subscription and non-subscription based entertainment servicessuch as games, music, streaming video, and internet access, for example.

If a meal or a collection of meals is ready, the order ready act 340initiates an order delivery act 350 that pages a restaurant staff memberto deliver the food and/or beverage items to the customer table. Oncethe food is delivered the customer consumes the food and beveragethrough a consumption act 360.

FIG. 4 illustrates a post-dining method 400. In a preferred embodiment,the post-dining method is initiated when the consumption act 360 iscomplete. Upon initiation of this method, a customer bill act 410notifies the RCMS that the customer is ready to checkout. The RCMS theninforms the point of sale (POS) system to upload the bill to thecustomer terminal device. Once the bill is received the customer reviewsthe bill via a bill review act 415. After the customer has reviewed thebill, a split bill act 420 allows the customer to split the bill betweenother people at his or her table. If a customer decides to split thebill, various options are present via a split bill handling act 425otherwise, loyalty rewards, such as coupons, are requested via a loyaltyrewards handling act 430. The loyalty rewards handling act 430 deductscoupons or other promotions from a customer bill.

Once the loyalty rewards handling act 430 is complete the customer mayadd gratuity via a gratuity assignment act 435 thus enabling a customerto pick from a list of pre-defined gratuity percentages or allowing acustomer to manually add a gratuity of their choice. The gratuityassignment act 435 performs the calculations for accurately includingpercentages and addition. After the customer has completed the gratuityassignment act 435, payment means is selected. Payment means mayinclude, cash, check, a money order, a cashier's check, a traveler'scheck, a gift card, a smart card, a bank card, an ATM card, a VISA®,MasterCard®, Discover®, or American Express® credit card, RFID paymentsystems, cellular phone payment systems, or an online payment service,such as PayPal™, account number, for example. After the payment meanshas been selected the customer approves of and completes thetransaction, via a digital signature capture act 440. Once thecustomer's digital signature is captured the payment processing begins,via a payment processing act 445.

During the payment processing act 445, the appropriate systems arecontacted in order to complete the transaction and payment istransferred from the customer to the restaurant which may includeautomatically closing out the transaction in the restaurant Point ofSale (POS) system such that the restaurant staffs need not to beinvolved. After the transaction is complete, the digital receipt isstored in the RCMS database via a digital receipt storage act 450 and acopy prints from the terminal device for the customer via a customerreceipt act 455.

Once the customer receipt is printed, a survey is presented to thecustomer via a post-dining survey act 460 that questions the customerabout the dining experience. The survey responses are data elements thatare stored in the RCMS database for evaluation by restaurant staff andmanagement. In a preferred embodiment, survey completion is required. Inan alternative embodiment, the survey may be bypassed. Completing asurvey may contribute to a customer's loyalty reward assignment.

After the survey is complete, the opportunity to purchase a post-diningentertainment unit in advance is presented to the customer via apost-dining entertainment act 465. The customer may purchase thepost-dining entertainment unit directly from the terminal device. Thepost-dining entertainment unit may be provided by restaurant partners oraffiliates.

Once the customer selects an activity the transaction may be completed.A digital signature is required, payment is received, a receipt isprinted, and other items confirming the transaction, such as movietickets, for example, are printed. The post-dining activities thecustomer selects are data elements that are stored in the restaurantcustomer management system database that may be reviewed by therestaurant, restaurant affiliates, or partners, for example. In thepreferred embodiment, the restaurant will receive a portion of the saleas revenue to the establishment.

Upon completion of the post-dining entertainment act 465, the customerprofile is updated in the restaurant customer management systemdatabase. All data elements collected during the dining process arestored accordingly with the customer record via a profile updating act470. Once completed, the RCMS provides loyalty rewards via a loyaltyrewards assignment act 475, based on criteria stored in the RCMSdatabase. In a preferred embodiment, the customer is presented with aselection of reward options. The customer chooses a single option andthat option is printed by the terminal device. After the loyalty rewardassignment act 475 is complete, the post-dining method 400 is completeand the customer may leave the restaurant when ready.

In an alternative embodiment, the customer may receive the menu paymentreceipt after the loyalty reward assignment act 475. In yet anotherembodiment, the menu receipt, the entertainment purchase receipt, movietickets, and loyalty rewards may all be printed on one receipt followingthe reward assignment act 475. It is apparent to those skilled in theart, that a receipt for any transaction may be presented immediatelyafter a transaction is completed or at the end after all transactionsare completed.

FIG. 5 illustrates the details of the split bill handling act 500 of thepost-dining method. In a preferred embodiment, a split bill act 510 isinitiated after the customer reviews the bill, in a bill review act 415(FIG. 4). If the customer decides not to split the bill, the split billact is bypassed and the customer proceeds to a loyalty rewards handlingact 430 (FIG. 4).

If the customer selects to split the bill the customer is provided theoption by the split bill act 510 to manually subdivide the bill evenlybetween people, by person, or subdivide an item by a number of peoplepaying. Once a customer decides to split the bill, the number of peoplepaying at the table is identified through a number at table act 520. Ina preferred embodiment, the first customer would select the number ofpeople that are dining at the table. The first customer proceeds throughthe process and is identified through a customer identification act 530,whereby the customer is tied to a unique customer record in the RCMSdatabase. If no record is found, a new record is created via a newcustomer act 535.

Next, the first customer selects items for which they are to pay for viaan item selection act 540. In one embodiment, the item selection actallows the customer to drag items to a box that represents his or herplace setting at the table. It is apparent to those in the art, thatalternative graphical representation may be implemented to accomplishthe same task utilizing various graphical user interface softwaresystems.

After the first customer selects all items for which they are to payfor, the first customer may then further divide a food or beverage itembetween themselves and other paying customers sitting at the table. Forexample, the first customer may have shared an appetizer with a secondcustomer. The first customer and second customer agree to split the costof this food item. In a split item act 550, the first customer maydesignate that the food item is shared between the first customer andthe second customer, via a number per item act 552 and the food itemcost is automatically split via an item portion calculation act 554 andthe payment amount due appears on the first customer's bill. If thecustomer does not select to subdivide a food item, the process proceedsto an all items selected act 560.

Once the first customer selects all items that he or she is to pay forand is complete with splitting the bill, the customer proceeds to aloyalty rewards handling act 430 (FIG. 4) and continues to proceed untilcompleting the loyalty rewards assignment act 475. If the first customeris not the last customer to pay the bill and a balance remains, a lastbill payer act 570 is triggered and returns to a customer identificationact 530, however, the first customer is marked as paid on the tablelist, their individual bill is marked closed, and their expenses areremoved from the bill balance. If the second customer, or othersubsequent customer, is the last customer to pay the bill and no balanceremains, the split bill handling act 425 method loop is terminated and athank-you message may appear on the terminal device display.

FIG. 6 illustrates a cafeteria dining method 600 whereby a customer unitmay walk along a cafeteria line, in a cafeteria type establishment, andselect food and beverage items of choice. In one embodiment the customerunit takes their own food and/or beverage items from a counter top via acustomer managed cafeteria selection act 610. The customer unit mayreturn to the cafeteria line as often as they wish to select items. Oncethe customer unit has selected all items of choice the customer unitpays for all items via a customer checkout act 610

In a preferred embodiment, the customer checkout act 610 enables thecustomer unit to pay for items selected thru a customer managed paymentsystem, such as a wireless enabled handheld computer having a graphicaluser interface that allows the customer unit to identify items selectedand pay for the selected items via the method described in thepost-dining method 400 (FIG. 4).

In an alternative embodiment, cafeteria items such as trays, plates, andglasses may be tagged with RFID tags. As the customer unit selects itemsfrom the cafeteria line, a terminal device, identifies and tallies allthe items the customer unit has selected utilizing RFID. Once all itemsare selected the customer unit may pay for the items via the post-diningmethod 400 (FIG. 4).

In yet another embodiment, a customer unit may identify themselves to asystem using a customer identification means, such as a credit card orRFID tag, for example. Preferably, all food and beverage item plates andglasses are RFID tagged. As the customer unit selects an item, the itemis added to their selection list automatically as the remove an itemfrom the counter. In addition, to prevent theft items may only beremoved from the counter after the customer unit is associated with anitem. One methodology of preventing theft is a security means that usesserving dishes containing metal which are held by an electromagnet,until a customer unit and item association is made. Another securitymeans that may be used is a physical barrier such as a glass door, forexample, which will prevent a customer unit from taking an item untilthe customer unit and item association is made.

As described, the invention describes new concepts, methodologies andcapabilities associated with the hospitality industry, in particular therestaurant and food service industry, for supporting customerstransacting with an establishment via customer-managed processes andtechnologies.

These concepts, methodologies and capabilities include but are notlimited to the following:

-   -   The system and methodology for customer handled reservation        management    -   The system and methodology for integrating Queuing systems,        Table Management Systems and POS Systems for improved restaurant        queuing time estimates    -   The system and methodology for customer managed ordering and the        integration with Central Management Systems, Kitchen Management        Systems, POS Systems and Table Management Systems, among other        systems within the environment    -   Customer managed self-checkout process and methodology including        components related to the digital signature capture and        back-office systems integration and management    -   The methodology for other types of self-checkout process such as        for cafeteria style dining.    -   A programmable SDK (Software Development Kit) for managing        menus, billing, infotainment facilities, among other        capabilities.    -   The system and methodology for tracking and reporting meal        preparation time estimates using RFID and other identification        methodologies and technologies    -   The integrated characteristics for customer managed devices,        including devices for reserving, ordering and paying.    -   Business Models for developing, deploying and managing the        inventions in commercial industry.

Overview

The restaurant and hospitality industry is rapidly changing as a resultof the change in demographics of the customer base and the introductionof technology. The traditional experience in which a customer partakeswhen dining out is the same model that has been employed for hundreds ofyears.

However the next generation of restaurant customers (and operators) arefrom Generation X—these customers are generally educated, highlycompetent with technology, consider time as a valuable commodity, oftenimpatient, and enjoy continuous and interactive entertainment.

In order to serve this next generation of customers and operators, newmethodologies for managing the customer experience are required to meetthe changing needs. In essence, this can be described as a new customerexperience for dining out.

This invention describes new concepts, capabilities and methodologiesfor a customer-managed dining experience.

Concept and Methodology

The vision of the new experience is an end-to-end process focused onsimultaneously improving customer satisfaction and operator efficiencyin which the customer experience and interaction can begin well beforethey arrive at the restaurant, to well beyond the point at which theyactually depart the premises.

The restaurant industry has been using a suite of disparate technologiesto solve a variety of operator related issues. The concept andmethodology described herein integrates the various technologies into asingle comprehensive solution combined with additional capabilitiesaimed at improving the customer experience, while putting a portion ofthe technology solution into the customer's hands.

The new methodology addresses three distinct but related phases of thecurrent dining experience:

-   -   Pre-dining and Seating Phase    -   Order, Wait and Consumption Phase    -   Payment and Post Dining Phase

Identification

The methodology for the customer to identify themselves to the systemand ultimately to the establishment and its employees is a factor inimproving customer satisfaction by delivering a personalized experience.

Key to the methodology is that the end to end dining process is linkedtogether such that a customer's identity is maintained throughout theentire process. This can be referred to as the Identity process. Thisimplies that the customer is identified to the Central Management Systemand the restaurant at the first instance of entering the dining process,and all events that occur throughout the experience are tied to theidentity. Note that the dining process or dining event refers to anyperiod, not necessarily dinner. The dining process or event can equallyrefer to breakfast, lunch or other periods.

A customer might enter the process when they, for example, log into thesystem to make reservations, or when they arrive at the restaurant andannounce themselves to the Maitre d′ to be manually placed on a waitinglist, or when they arrive at a restaurant and announce themselves to anautomated machine by, for example, swiping their credit card as anidentity mechanism or using other identity technologies such as RFID,Retina Scan or other means.

The implication of a customer's identity being maintained throughout theentire process is that a customer that is waiting in the bar and, forexample, purchases drinks, will not necessarily have to close their tabat the bar when their table is called for seating. Instead, theinformation of the bar tab is tied to the customer's identity and istransferred to the next event, i.e. the meal ordering phase, and followsthe customer until the end of the dining process. Should the customerchoose to purchase movie tickets from the restaurant for a showing afterthe meal is to be over, this event could also be included as part of theprocess and linked with the customer's identity.

Process Periods

Depending on the type of events, there are several different process endpoints. From a billing perspective, the process end point usually endswhen the customer is ready to leave the establishment and has closeddown all tabs for that time period, e.g. lunch or dinner. However if thecustomer has further activities that will be pursued that are purchasedduring the dining event, e.g. purchasing movie tickets for a showingfollowing the meal at a nearby theatre, then the event may not end untilafter the subsequent event (i.e. the movie). This can be facilitated bythe restaurant having a promotional agreement or arrangement with themovie theatre. However it is typical that the billing process end pointsare defined with the event associated with the entity that receives thesettlement.

While a process end point for billing purposes likely ends with theperiod of the visit to the establishment, other processes continue tolive. For example, when the customer closes their tab and leaves theestablishment, the information of events including what was purchased,how many participants, the time of day, customer feedback etc. arerecorded as part of the customer's profile in a separate process thatwill continue to live. This process could be resurrected at a subsequentvisit to the same establishment by the customer at a later date, andwould be used to improve the customer experience in various manners. Forexample the system can recall what the customer purchased during thelast several visits, and draw on that information to identify selectionsthat would likely appeal to the customer for the current visit.

This process can also be used for aggregating information related to theoverall patronage of the restaurant rather than just on a per customerbasis, in order to identify macro level information about therestaurant, including for example what meals were most popular on aparticular day at a certain time by a certain demographic. There areendless possibilities of what can be compiled from the data associatedwith this process.

I. Pre-Dining and Seating Phase

During the Pre-Dining and Seating Phase, the following capabilities aresupported according to the new methodology:

-   -   Customer Identification    -   Customer Preferences Handling    -   Advance reservations    -   Queuing system integration & real time estimation    -   Table Management system integration

The experience begins with a search for an eating establishment thatmeets the current needs of the customer. The customer can, for example,review a list of restaurants by logging in to the Internet and using asearch engine or other method for identifying a suitable location suchas a specific restaurant site on the World Wide Web as a resource.

By logging into a web portal, a customer's profile can be used to aid inidentifying an appropriate match. This would take into account thecustomer's personal preferences, location and proximity, estimated timefor the dining event, correlation with pre and post dining events thatthe customer has scheduled (e.g. movies, meetings, etc.) via integrationwith a Personal Information Management system such as Microsoft Outlook.Logging into the system can also be used as an identity mechanism forthe system, which could represent the first point of entry into theUnified Process.

With this information in hand, the customer can automatically make andconfirm reservations online with the restaurant by, for example, viewingthe available timeslots at a particular restaurant and selecting anavailable slot. These actions could be taken without intervention orinteraction with a live agent such as the Maitre d′.

By the same token, the customer can perform these same functions viapersonal devices that use wireless technologies such as a wireless webenabled mobile telephone or a wireless web enabled Personal DigitalAssistant (PDA). For example, a wireless web enabled mobile phonebrowser can access this information using wireless telephone informationtechnologies such as WAP (Wireless Application Protocol), XHTML, CHTML,SMS, or other protocols and bearers (Circuit Switched Data or PacketData) accessed via their mobile telephone. This would allow the customerto identify a suitable location while away from a fixed wire device suchas a computer.

Real-time Queuing Status

Whether at a fixed wire computer or mobile with a wireless device suchas a wireless web enabled mobile telephone or PDA, a customer could alsoview the real-time status of a restaurant's queue by checking theinformation which would be calculated based on information acquired fromthe current events in the establishment and accessed by the customer onthe web via a fixed wire computer or a mobile device such as a mobiletelephone or PDA wherever they are currently located.

Currently queuing information in restaurants is often estimated by aperson such as the Maitre d′ or table host that is managing a manuallist. Typically the process is such that a table is identified as beingfree and available by the server responsible for that table only whenthat server has identified the table as being ready to clear followingthe departure of the party. In that case, the server physically mustsignal to the table host, who is often in a different location from thetable, once the table has been cleared and prepared for the next party.

Using a host of technologies, the queuing time estimate for a particularguest to be seated can be significantly improved in terms of accuracy.This will allow guests to better prepare and make use of the time theyspend waiting, which will contribute to improved customer satisfaction.

The methodology for deriving the queuing time estimate typically canincorporate information from all or some of the following systems: TheCentral Management System; the automated online Reservation System, theTable Management System, the Point of Sales system, the Kitchen OrderManagement System and the Payment system.

By combining the input from these various systems into a dedicatedQueuing Estimate System along with additional information includinghistorical estimates gathered from previous sessions, time of day,individual party size, number of particular table styles (for exampletwo person square tables, six person round tables), external factorssuch as local weather, traffic, construction, events such as conventionsor public holidays, among other inputs, a highly accurate queue estimatecan be calculated that can be given to a specific customer or party.

Typical examples of the inputs to the Queuing System from other systemsmight include the following:

-   -   Historical information might show that lunchtime business peaks        between 11:18 and 13:20 on Wednesdays during the month of        September in which there are no civic holidays.    -   Time-slot reservation inputs from the Reservations System        including reservation removals for parties that have been served        or have been cancelled or rescheduled.    -   POS system reporting to the Queuing System containing status of        each customer order being recorded and then forwarded to the        kitchen for preparation.    -   Kitchen Order Management System information identified to the        Queuing System containing the current rate of orders being        managed, including whether or not there is a slowdown due to        various circumstances.    -   Customer managed Tableside Payment system triggers to the Table        Management System when a customer has finished reviewing their        bill, has swiped their credit card, and has closed their        transaction.    -   At that point the Table Management System would input this        information to the Queuing system for further refinement of the        current customer queue times.

The computational analysis to derive the actual queuing time figure usesvarious mathematical formulae based on standard queuing theories andtechniques, with additional provisions for incorporating learningcapabilities for continuous refinements as the system continues tocollect data throughout its lifetime.

During the time that the customer waits for their turn for seating toarrive at the top of the queue, the system continues to refine itsestimate based on the current data. As a result, an initial estimate offifteen minutes may in the end require either more or less time to reachthe top of the queue in light of real-time changes in the inputs fromthe various systems and external factors.

The calculated queue time for each individual customer or party iscontinuously calculated in real-time, and is different for eachindividual customer or party based on their profile. For example a partyof six may have a queue time that is longer than a party of two as thereare typically less tables in a restaurant that is capable of supportinga party of six than there are tables that can support a party of two.

The customer can at any point verify their current real time queueestimate using a variety of techniques. The restaurant establishmentcould provide the customer with a device that identifies thisinformation via, for example, a wireless connection to the QueuingSystem. Alternatively the information can be published for all customersto view on, for example, an overhead television or dedicated datascreen. A customer could verify the information from a mobile devicesuch as a mobile telephone or data enabled device such as a PDA. Toelaborate, a data enabled mobile phone could access the informationusing, for example, a WAP browser with which the customer could querythe Queuing System. Alternatively the customer could call into an IVR(Interactive Voice Response System) or VoXML (Voice XML) system to querythe same data.

By the same token, rather than have the customer originate a query, itis possible for the system to inform the customer directly when eventsare triggered. For example, a page could be sent to the customer'smobile pager or a phone call could be originated to the customer'smobile telephone when the estimated queue period drops to a time eitherpre-set, or based on intelligent information such as the customer'scurrent location gathered electronically via the Global PositioningSystem, the mobile telephone positioning network, or other techniques.The location information would be used along with other pertinentinformation as input to the queuing system to estimate the time it wouldtake for the customer to return to the restaurant location and be ontime when their reservation reaches the top of the queue.

As a result, it is not necessary for the customer to wait on-site at therestaurant to maintain their position in the queue.

When a table is available and prepared, the customer's queue time isreduced to zero. The customer can be informed using a variety oftechniques including:

-   -   An aural announcement by the table host or Maitre d′. The table        host cannot be sure that the party has been informed until the        party identifies themselves to the host, which can result in        delays that will ultimately affect the queue times for other        waiting parties.    -   A restaurant owned paging device that has been distributed to        the customer and that can be triggered by the host and relayed        via wireless techniques to the device. Using such a device can        reduce the time for a party to identify themselves as the method        implies a higher level of probability of success in informing        the customer.    -   A personal device owned by the customer that can be paged or        alerted by the Queuing System. For example, the Queuing System        could originate a phone call to the customer's mobile telephone        or a page to the customer's pager, or a mobile data message such        as an SMS or WAP Push message to the customer's mobile data        device.

II. Order, Wait and Consumption Phase

The following functions are performed during the Order, Wait andConsumption Phase:

-   -   Ordering capabilities—only items currently available will be        uploaded and displayed to be ordered (based on time of day e.g.        lunch/dinner menu, and inventory control)    -   Beverage Management—interactive beverage and wine lists    -   Paging Capabilities—Customer or a device can page the server or        manager using a wireless device    -   Meal preparation time estimates—integration with kitchen        management systems for improved real-time estimate    -   Infotainment—while waiting for the meal to be prepared and        served: Interactive games, live internet access to news,        weather, sports, stocks, horoscopes, personal e-mail

Once at the restaurant, the next phase begins in which the customer isidentified by the system to the staff including their preferences andprevious history (what they ordered on previous occasions, etc.),correlated with the reservation made on the web, and prepared for theirtable.

At this point the customer could choose to wait in the bar and purchasedrinks which would be associated with the customer's identity as theycontinue throughout the unified dining process of events. When theirtable becomes available, they would not necessarily have to close downtheir bar tab, as it would follow their identity to the next event, suchas the meal ordering process.

At the table, the customer will be presented with a device from therestaurant that will perform many functions. It is also possible for thecustomer to use their own device that interacts with the system, forexample a mobile phone or personal PDA connected over the internet viawireless technology could be used to connect to the restaurant facilitysystems rather than the customer using the on-site device provided bythe restaurant.

The restaurant device could encompass a large enough color screen thatcan be read at the table in place of a menu. The screen could be atouchscreen or instead another input device could be used such as amouse or a keypad. A single device for the entire table could be used,or a separate device per person. If a single device is used, it wouldtypically be shared by all participants, or one person would handle theprocesses on behalf of the party. Having one device for the party istypically more appropriate for a beverage management system such as awine list in which a bottle is chosen for the table.

Device Display Management

In the case where individual devices are used for each customer, aphysical display management system is required in which the devices canbe displayed on the table, secured to prevent theft, and re-arrangedeasily as the tables are moved and fitted to meet the needs of varyingparty sizes. One methodology is to have the device be freestanding butphysically secured to the table, or alternatively the device could bephysically built in to the table, or the device could be physicallyaffixed to a wall next to the table, or the device could be physicallyaffixed to the floor next to the table. Other possibilities forphysically securing the device are also possible.

Devices can be electronically connected for data management to theCentral Management System via fixed wires or via wireless techniquessuch as radio frequency or infrared technologies.

An alternative methodology that is more flexible in terms of itsarrangement would be to have a square display unit with four cradles,one at each side, which could be dynamically arranged depending on therequired table configuration. In the case that a table is setup for twopeople facing each other, two devices could be inserted into opposingcradles of the display unit at the table. For a table of four people,all four cradles could be populated with devices. For a table of six inwhich two two-person tables have been combined, two display units couldbe linked together, which would provide six cradles to be populated withdevices.

While a display unit is one methodology for securing the devices to thetable, it is possible to use other means for theft prevention. Forexample the device could be manufactured using proprietary componentsand methodologies such that it would be rendered useless outside therestaurant facilities. In such a case, this fact could be clearlyidentified on the device as a theft deterrent.

Alternatively proximity alert devices using wireless technology could beemployed in which an alarm would be signaled if a device were removedfrom a specific location or removed from the establishment. Trackingtechnologies could also be employed to track the device within theestablishment or outside the establishment, using technologies such asGPS tracking.

Identification for Ordering

With the device in operation, the current and up-to-date Menu andBeverage List based on the current time of day (lunch menu/dinner menu)and current inventory status is uploaded to the customer's table. Inorder to upload this information of the current menu items available forsale to the terminal, the system interacts with the Kitchen InventorySystem to assure that all the necessary ingredients are available beforeallowing it to be uploaded to the customer site. If an item is availablebut a particular ingredient is out of stock, the item could still beuploaded to the customer site, however the out of stock ingredient wouldnot be included in the list of possible choices, should that be anoption for that item.

If this is the first instance of the overall process (i.e. the customerhas not previously registered with the system at some point wherebytheir identity had already been processed), then the customer must beginwith an identification process in order to identify themselves to thesystem. This could be achieved by swiping a credit card or otheridentification information device such as an RFID tag, by logging inwith a user name and password.

If the customer has previously logged into the system and istransferring information from a previous process connected with theiridentity (e.g. a bar tab), if the customer logs in again at the newlocation (i.e. the table), the information from the previous processwould be linked to the new process going forward.

Payment Identification

If a party contains more than one person, it is possible for variousmethods of identification and payment. If one person is planning to payfor the entire party, that person could identify themselves to thesystem during the login and identification phase, and that informationwould be transmitted to the other devices such that it would allow themto begin the ordering process.

Alternatively each individual person can log in individually and pay forthemselves, or any other combination in which, for example, couplescould pay on a separate invoice. The system is entirely flexible in thismanner.

If one party member chooses to pay for other party members, it ispossible for the paying party member to be granted access to view theordering information of those for whom they are paying. In this case thesystem may or may not identify this to the non-paying parties (i.e. thatthe paying party has viewing privileges), and the system may also offerthe non-paying parties the option to block this capability. In the samemanner, it is possible for the system to offer the paying party theprivilege of managing and modifying a non-paying party's order.

At anytime during the process including at the point of checkout, thesystem can be made to allow the paying arrangements to be altered suchthat the selecting of paying parties can be altered, as well as theassignment of items purchased can be altered. The system can also makeprovisions for allowing individual items or the entire bill to be sharedor divided in various manners. For example, a bottle of wine could beequally shared among four paying parties, or an individual party couldselect to pay a certain percentage of an individual item. The system isentirely flexible in its payment scheme.

Finally, it is also possible for the system to allow the orderingprocess to proceed without identification of the paying parties untilthe checkout process.

Ordering

Once logged in and identified to the system, the system can draw uponpast experience of the customer or other information collected from thelogin process such as demographics, credit limits, etc., tointelligently present the menu and provide selections that would beappealing to the customer. The system could potentially place theintelligent selections at the front of the menu, followed by the regularmenu.

Once in the menu selection process, customers will be able to easilylearn about the menu item selections, and put together an order on theirown. The system can highlight specials offered as well as recommend foodand wine pairings.

The process for ordering and selections can be similar to an internetshopping cart. The menu items can include nested hyperlinks or othermethods for drilling down for additional details to learn more about theproduct. For example, the main menu might contain a section onhamburgers with a list of the combinations offered, with perhaps a smallpicture and the price. By selecting the description or the smallpicture, the site would provide additional information on that itemincluding a larger image with details.

The customer could choose to add the item to their order or return tothe previous menu to continue searching for other items. Additionaloptions for customizing an order could be provided to the customer, suchas pull down menus for having specific items on the side rather than onthe main course, or to substitute certain accoutrements for others froma list of choices.

If the customer chooses to order the item, they would then be returnedto the main menu to continue the process of selecting items, to add forexample beverages, appetizers or other items.

At any point during the shopping cart ordering process, the customer canreview their order including the current addition of the item prices.

At any point the customer could then choose to confirm the order.Confirming the order would send the information of the contents of theorder to the Central Management System which would pass the informationto the POS System and to the Kitchen Order System to display to the mealpreparers.

If the order involves items to be prepared in different facilities, i.e.the meal in the kitchen and the beverage order in the bar, the CentralManagement System would forward the necessary components to theappropriate facilities. The Central Management system would then keeptrack of the orders to manage the coordination of activities fordelivery of the items to the table at the appropriate times. Forexample, a specific beverage could be coordinated for delivery with aspecific item of the meal, e.g. a glass of wine with the main course.

Real-time Preparation Estimation Process

Once the order has been received by the Central Management System anddistributed to the various facilities for preparation, information onpreparation progress is input to the system to continuously refine theestimate of when the order will be prepared and ready for delivery tothe table.

The actual order preparation process can be considered a project, with adefined start and end point, and a finite set of inputs and outputs.Order preparation tracking is achieved by using various technologies fortracking towards specific milestones and tollgates of the project. Forexample, during the preparation process, identification technologiessuch as bar code or RFID can be used for the items required to preparean order. When an order is received in the Kitchen Management System,specific dishes on which the order will be placed can be assigned by thesystem. These dishes can contain identity tags such as RFID that can betracked through sensors in the kitchen as the order is prepared.

The Order Management System can keep track of the dishes and record whenthey accomplish a particular project milestone such as being placed in aspecific location such as a warming station to wait for other componentsof the order, or when a project tollgate has been achieved in which theorder has been completed and is ready for a runner to return to collectthe items to deliver to a table.

The Order Management System can report when each plate has been preparedand placed on the warming station for a particular order. When allplates in an order have been placed on the warming station, the runneris automatically paged to deliver the order.

Other mechanisms and techniques including manual input by the preparercan be used for identifying to the system when various projectmilestones and tollgates have been achieved in the preparation of theorder.

By the same token, the customer can query the Order Management System tobe able to view the status of the preparation of their order. Based onthe kitchen information, the system could provide a continuously updatedreal-time estimate of the expected time for preparation completion andtableside delivery. The system could use a variety of inputs includingtime of day, number of tables occupied in the establishment, number ofmeal preparers on hand, current rate of order fills etc., in refiningthe estimate.

The customer could also be automatically alerted to this informationwithout have to query the system themselves. The customer couldsubscribe to alerts from kitchen identifying, for example, when an orderhas been assigned to a meal preparer, when each item in an order hasbeen started, when each item in an order has been completed and iswaiting on the warming station, etc.

The customer could view this information in a special view on thetableside device at any point. A graphical timeline chart of the mealpreparation process could be shown, with the current status of theprocess highlighted on the display.

If the preparation period exceeds specific guidelines, various flags canbe raised and appropriate persons alerted in order to take action. Forexample, the meal preparer might be alerted that the last item for anorder to be completed is taking too long while the other items wait onthe warming rack. If the order continues to slip, the server could bealerted and they could personally visit the table to explain thesituation. The manager could also be alerted via wireless device such asa pager, from which they could take action. At anytime during theprocess, the customer can page a server or manager to the table forhuman intervention.

Inventory Control

As the meal is prepared, ingredients are removed from the storagefacilities. As they are removed, the system can be informed forinventory control purposes. For example, bundles of spinach can bewrapped with RFID tags that would be removed from inventory when theyare removed from the storage facility.

In addition, the actual order information can be used for inventorycontrol. Once an order has been completed, all the ingredients for theorder preparation can be removed from inventory.

When inventory items are reduced to specific levels, an automaticInventory Order System can be invoked in order to place an order withthe supplier. This can be immediate or delayed in order to accumulate asufficient order quantity of goods.

The inventory information is also fed back into the menu system to bereflected when uploading the latest menu to a customer table forordering.\

Paging

At anytime during the process, the customer can page the server ormanager by pressing a paging button on the device that will communicatevia a wired or wireless connection to a paging device with the server ormanager. The paging device typically has a wireless connection and canbe worn by the server or manager. The server or manager can be alertedby audio (e.g. an alert sound), sensation (e.g. a vibration alert),and/or visual means (e.g. a light indication).

The device may also include descriptive information associated with thepage, such as a request for a server to provide an support in using thesystem.

Paging can also be used by other devices within the establishment. Forexample, a beverage glass can support technology to identify when thecontents of a glass have been reduced and may require replenishing. Sucha beverage device could then inform the Central Management Server whichwould in turn page a server to deliver a refill or replenish the glass.

Infotainment

During the order preparation phase, customers are able to participate intableside Infotainment Services via a connection to the internetincluding interactive games such as interactive trivia challenges (canbe played solo against the computer, other participants at the sametable, other participants within the same group or within therestaurant, or externally with other restaurant patrons), general websurfing, real-time information (news, weather, sports, stocks,horoscopes, personal e-mail, etc.), Instant Messaging, etc.

The connection from the device to the internet can be achieved via afixed line connection using technologies such as xDSL, Cable Modems,T1/E1, Optical OC links, etc., via a wireless connection usingtechnologies such as radio frequency including for example CDPD, CircuitSwitched Data for TDMA, CDMA, GSM or other wireless technologies, PacketData for TDMA, CDMA 1×RTT, GPRS, UMTS or other packet wirelesstechnologies, Wireless LAN technologies such as 802.11a, 802.11b,Bluetooth, or Broadband Access, via point-to-point communicationtechnologies such as infrared, or via other connection technologies.

Tableside Services

Customers can be charged for various services, including basic internetaccess for web surfing as well as for premium services such as an onlineMusic Jukebox service, allowing the customer to choose music to play atthe table, for which the customer would be charged. All charges are sentto the POS system to be maintained until checkout.

The system can highlight partner program offers with nearby movietheatres or dessert locations. The customer can then interact with thesesites as a referred customer from the restaurant establishment. As aresult, the restaurant can receive a new revenue stream based on arevenue sharing arrangement between the partners. For example, if thecustomer chooses to purchase a movie ticket for a showing followingtheir dinner, the restaurant would receive a referral fee from the movietheatre.

The customer could either purchase the movie from the movie theatre sitedirectly and have the ticket waiting for them when they arrive, or couldhave the receipt printed by the restaurant for the movie theatretransaction. Alternatively the customer could purchase the ticketthrough an arrangement between the restaurant and the movie theatre suchthat the movie fee would be added to the customer's restaurant bill anda receipt would be printed at the restaurant that could be used at themovie theatre. The restaurant would then settle with the movie theatrefor the price of the ticket minus a service charge for example.

While surfing on partner websites, the customer could print coupons attableside that could be used at a partner location. For example, thecustomer could print a coupon for a nearby dessert café which wouldcontain a referral identity number that would be used to identify theissuing restaurant to the partner for referral payment and/orstatistical purposes. Partner websites could be charged a fee for theircoupons being printed at the restaurant.

From the device it would also be possible to run high bandwidth premiumservices such as movie clips, advertisements, news reports, horoscopes,entertainment shows, movies, and other forms of audio and videoentertainment, as well as audio and video calls to other systemsincluding the public telephone network.

The device would also offer capabilities such as an outlet forrecharging a personal device such as a personal mobile telephone, PDA orother device, for which a charge could be added to the customer's bill.Other capabilities include Prepaid recharging such as for mobile phoneminutes or long distance cards. The device could also act as an ATMmachine including balance verification, account transfers, makepayments, and withdrawals. Assuming the customer has other means ofpayment for the restaurant, the customer could add a cash amount totheir bill which the restaurant would disburse to the customer in cash.

III. Payment and Post Dining Phase

The Payment and Post Dining Phase covers the following functions:

-   -   Customer Self Checkout & Payment Processing    -   Post Dining Survey    -   Post Dining Entertainment    -   Profile Updating    -   Loyalty reward Programming

Following the meal, the customer is able to perform ‘Self-Checkout’ byreviewing the bill electronically, submitting their payment andultimately closing their account on their own. At that point thecustomer is free to leave at will, without having to wait for wait staffto close down the account. The Central Management and Table ManagementSystems are automatically advised that the customer has completedpayment.

The customer self checkout process begins with the customer identifyingto the Central Management System that they wish to begin the checkoutprocess. The system can operate in a Client-Server modem which theninforms the POS (Point of Sale) System to upload the bill including allindividual charges to the tableside device via the same techniquespreviously described (e.g. via a data connection that is wired orwireless).

If there are several devices used for a single party, then the entirebill can be uploaded to all devices, or the specific bills of theindividual parties can be uploaded to the respective devices.

Customers in the party can then review their orders for errors, and canpage a server or manager to discuss discrepancies. The bill can containhyperlinks with explanations of the items and the purpose for thecharges with details of the events.

The system can be made to allow the paying arrangements to be alteredsuch that the selecting of paying parties can be altered, as well as theassignment of items purchased can be altered. The system can also makeprovisions for allowing individual items or the entire bill to be sharedor divided in various manners. For example, a bottle of wine could beequally shared among four paying parties, or an individual party couldselect to pay a certain percentage of an individual item.

Paying parties can also be changed such that an individual previouslyidentified as paying for the entire party can be changed to anotherindividual or split among a group of individuals in the party. The billof a single member of a party can be split among the remainingindividuals. This can be used for a celebration in which the bill forthe person being recognized is split among the attending participants.

The system is entirely flexible in its payment scheme. The system canuse payment facilities such as credit cards, debit cards, electronicchecks that are managed by the customer at tableside. Alternatively thesystem can link to other electronic payment wallets for accountsettlement, such as an online e-commerce payment account. In this casethe customer can log into an external e-commerce payment account such asPaypal.com through the tableside device or a personal device and forwarda payment to the restaurant to settle the account.

Using RFID or other electronic identity payment systems such asMobilPass, the tableside device can capture the RFID information andinteract with an electronic account to settle the balance.

Using a service provider account such as a mobile telephone billingaccount, the customer can arrange payment to the restaurant to be madeto the customer's personal service provider account.

Overlay Process

While the invention described herein outlines an encompassing solutionfor the dining experience from start to finish, the solution is equallyapplicable to addressing individual components of the dining experience,overlaying the existing procedures with one that is more efficient andcontributes to improving customer satisfaction, without interfering withother components.

Overlaying or replacing the traditional checkout process with a customermanaged checkout process provides significant advantages in improvingrestaurant efficiencies and customer satisfaction.

FIG. 7 illustrates a prior art checkout procedure 700.

Traditional Checkout Process

The invention of customer managed checkout is based on customerdissatisfaction associated with the traditional payment process forrestaurants.

One of the key issues with frequenting restaurants focuses on thecustomer's desire to be able to close their account and leave theestablishment when they wish, without having to wait while effectivelybeing held at the mercy of the wait staff.

This invention proposes a methodology for Customer Self-Checkout Processto address these problems in a beneficial solution for both the customerand the operator.

The traditional checkout procedure is a complicated process thatrequires many steps and much time, as shown in FIG. 7. As a result, thecheckout procedure can quickly sour an otherwise satisfactory diningexperience.

In this procedure, the customer 710 must find the server 712 to conveythat they wish to checkout. The server must then physically go to aspecific location to interact with the POS system 714 where the orderwas manually entered, as per the procedure in traditional restaurantordering procedure.

The POS system then prints out a paper copy of the bill. The server thendelivers the bill to the customer. The server can then leave the tableto perform other duties.

The customer reviews the bill for accuracy. Once satisfied, the customermust find the server to submit payment. If the payment is via creditcard, the server must return to the POS system for processing.

At the POS system the server commands the system to reserve a creditamount on the customer's credit card account that is in excess of theactual bill in order to cover an anticipated gratuity that will be addedby the customer.

Once approved, the POS system prints two copies of paper that containthe total from the bill and a place for the customer to add a gratuity.

The server delivers the two copies of the gratuity paper along with theoriginal paper bill and the credit card to the customer. The server canthen leave the table to perform other duties.

The customer then calculates and manually enters a gratuity amount, andthe customer adds the total. At that point the customer is free to leavewith the original paper bill and one of the copies of the gratuity paperreceipt.

The server then returns to the table to collect the remaining papergratuity receipt and returns to the POS system to close the transaction.At the POS system, the server manually keys in the gratuity and the POSsystem finalizes the payment with the credit card facility with theactual amount to be paid.

Note that if there are multiple payees within a single party, the servermust process all of the payees individually in the manner describedabove.

The above described checkout process is labor intensive and burdensomeon both the server and the customer, prone to calculation errors, andleaves a paper trail of documents that both the customer and theoperator must manage in order to maintain proof of the particulars of atransaction at a later point in time. For the operator, this can be adifficult task maintaining receipts for each transaction, and even moredifficult to identify a particular receipt in the event that atransaction is contested.

Another important issue lies with customer concern surrounding therequirement for the customer to surrender their credit card to someonethey don't know while the wait staff disappears to process the account,which represents a security risk.

By the same token, restaurant operators also encounter difficulties withthe current lengthy and complicated checkout procedure. Some of theissues restaurant operator face today involve improving the number oftable turns in the busy hour; Freeing wait staff from tasks not directlyassociated with waiting customers, and of course improving customersatisfaction.

FIG. 8 illustrates a self-checkout procedure 800.

Customer Self-Checkout

The invention proposes a methodology for a Customer Self-CheckoutProcess to address these problems in a beneficial solution for both thecustomer and the operator.

In this procedure, the customer 810 must find the server 812 to conveythat they wish to checkout. At this point the server can remove fromtheir belt a portable checkout device that contains all the necessarycomponents for the procedure including a touchscreen and input device, acredit card swipe, a wireless connectivity device and a printer.

Without leaving the table, the server can wirelessly signal back to thePOS system 814 to upload the bill to the device. The POS systemcommunicates the information to the device wirelessly.

Once the transmission is complete, the server places the device into acustomer oriented mode of operation which effectively prevents thecustomer from performing unauthorized activities. The server then leavesthe device with the customer at tableside, and can leave to performother duties.

The customer reviews the bill for accuracy directly on the device. Thecustomer can select the gratuity amount they wish to leave by selectingpreset buttons for selections such as 15%, 17.5%, 20%, or can manuallyenter an amount using an touchscreen keyboard or other input method. Byselecting a preset button, the system will calculate the exact amountfor gratuity on behalf of the customer, and automatically add the total.

The customer can then digitally sign their name on the touchscreendevice using the included stylus. The customer can then swipe their owncredit card on the device. The device will then communicate wirelesslywith the POS system to process the credit card for the exact amountincluding the gratuity in one procedure, thereby eliminating a secondcommunication with the credit card processing center.

Once approved by the credit card processing center, the POS system willcommunicate with the device which will then print a single receiptdirectly on the device for the customer which includes a printout oftheir digital signature previously captured. The customer is then freeto leave with a single paper receipt.

The device will communicate over the internet or with a local server tostore the image or bitmap of the customer's digital signature and recordthe transaction events for a later retrieval should it be required to,for example, prove a dispute.

The digital capture information can also be stored in the POS system aspart of the transaction information.

The device or the Central Management System can inform the server thatthe transaction has been completed. The server can then retrieve thedevice from the table at the same time as clearing the table for thenext customers.

The device of the Central Management System can also inform the TableManagement System that the transaction has been completed. The TableManagement System can then update the Queuing system.

If the device does not incorporate an onboard printer, the finalcustomer receipt can be printed to a centralized printer which eitherthe customer can pick up on their way out, or a restaurant staff candeliver to the table.

Alternatively the customer can choose to have an invoice sent to theirhome via regular post or to an e-mail address. The invoice can be sentas a text file or as a hyperlink to a secure site where an actual imageof the receipt is stored or generated that can then be printed on thecustomer's home or office printer.

Split Checks

The device can also handle splitting checks in a similar manner aspreviously described. In more detail, when the bill is uploaded to thedevice, the individual list of items with their prices can be displayedas objects. By selecting a Split Check mode, the first customer canselect the items that they have purchased by pointing to them on thedevice.

Once all items for the first customer have been identified, the customercan select to checkout, after which they will be prompted to sign theirname, add a gratuity and to swipe their credit card as described, afterwhich a printout would be made.

The device can then be handed to the next payee who will follow the sameprocedure among the list of remaining items on the bill. This procedurecan be performed until all payees have paid and there are no remainingitems on the bill.

The above described checkout process is significantly less laborintensive and burdensome on both the server and the customer, not proneto calculation errors, and reduces the paper trail of documents to justone optional paper receipt for the customer.

For the restaurant operator, there is no paper receipt required. Shoulda dispute arise, the operator can enter the system and search by date orother criteria for the receipt stored in the database, and then printoutonly that receipt when required.

From a security perspective, the customer was able to maintain controlof their credit card at all times, reducing the possibility of fraud.All wired and wireless transactions are handled using securitytechniques to minimize the risk of fraud.

If there are multiple payees within a single party, the individualcustomers can handle the process themselves using the Split Checksprocedure without requiring support from the wait staff

The effects of this checkout procedure and methodology include improvedcustomer satisfaction, improved customer credit card security, fastertable turns as customers can leave at will without having to wait forwait staff, improved wait staff efficiencies resulting in increasednumber of tables that can be supported by wait staff.

In this process, the balance of power is placed in the hands of thecustomer to decide when they wish to close their account and leave thepremises. Effectively, it is up to the customer to decide when thedining experience is over. The solution not only contributes to customersatisfaction, but also results in the table being cleared earlier whichin turn results in faster table turns for the restaurant operator whichcan ultimately contribute to increased profitability.

The reduction in time is particularly beneficial for attracting busybusiness customers at lunchtime that are on a schedule to be back atoffice, or customers bound by an entertainment event following dinnersuch as a movie or ballet. In such cases the Self Checkout System can bean attracting element for customers choosing a dining establishment.

The Self Checkout process supports Digital Signature Capture in whichthe customer signs their name on the screen, and the signature isdigitally captured and stored as an image such as a bitmap. Typicallythe amount of storage required is very little, with current technologiesaround 1 kilobyte of data.

From the customer perspective, they will receive the printout with theiractual digital signature imprinted on the receipt. Of significantbenefit to the restaurant operator is that the procedure is entirelypaperless—which means there is no longer the need to manage and maintaina paper trail of each transaction.

The digital signature from the customer along with the details of thetransaction are stored in a secure processing center to which theoperator has real-time online access from anywhere in the world via theinternet. In the instance where the operator must prove a transaction,they can search and locate the transaction online, and print a copy ofonly that transaction, containing the digital signature from thecustomer.

Electronic Survey

Following the payment and checkout procedure, the customer can beoffered to participate in a survey directly on the device, withouthaving to manually process handwritten cards as in the past. Byincorporating the solution as part of the checkout procedure, thechances of the customer completing the survey are increased, providingthe operator with a wealth of customer data.

The survey can be stored locally in the device, or uploaded inreal-time. The survey responses recorded can be downloaded to theCentral Management System and directed to a Survey System to compile theresults. The results of the compiled surveys can be accessed by therestaurant staff or management for review.

Individual survey results can result in actions, such as a manager beingpaged if responses are poor, loyalty program coupons being offered tothe customer to entice them to return or introduce the establishment tonew potential patrons, and can be used as input to the customer profileto be taken into account at subsequent visits to the restaurant when thecustomer logs in or has completed the identification process.

Partnership Promotions

The solution offers the potential for new revenue streams frompartnership promotions with participating establishments by promotingpost-dining entertainment suggestions and promotional coupons that canbe printed on the integrated printer. Examples include uploading theup-to-date movie schedule for local theatres in the area from whichtickets can be purchased, or menus from local dessert and coffee shopsfor which coupons can be printed.

For additional details refer to section on Tableside Services.

Closing Account

On closing the account for the period (typically the duration of adining session), the Central Management System records the events in thecustomer profile to be able to better serve the customer at a futurevisit, as well as provide statistical information for the restaurantoperator (for example, what meals were popular for lunch today). Thesystem can print coupons to encourage return business as part of aloyalty program.

Runners and Animators

Throughout the process it should be noted that the customer need notparticipate in all parts of the experience described above, nor mustthey begin with the first step. Rather, it is a dynamic process in whichone can choose where to join and where to exit, and participate as muchor as little as one chooses. At any point in the process, the customercan request support from their table staff, who can aid and educate thecustomer, or can handle the complete transaction on behalf of thecustomer in their presence.

Using the methodologies and capabilities described in the invention canchange the list of responsibilities of a traditional server or waitstaff. As such it is considered appropriate to introduce new terminologyfor the staff participating in the processes defined in theinvention—namely “runners” and “animators”.

As the customer can generate their own order and can checkout withlittle or no wait staff intervention, the server's remainingresponsibilities are to deliver the order to the customer when it isprepared, and are called runners.

Key to the assuring the successful adoption of the new methods andcapabilities by customers and patrons at large is recognition of theneed for education to help customers become familiar and appreciate thenew processes and capabilities.

With this in mind, another important responsibility of the wait staff inthe new model is to educate customers. In order to make the educationexperience as pleasant as possible for customers, it is critical thatthe wait staff educators maintain a positive attitude while educating.The wait staff that participate in this process are called “Animators”.

Business Models

The development, deployment and maintenance of the new methodologies andcapabilities described in the invention also lend themselves to newbusiness models.

To become a financially viable opportunity, new products associated withthe new methodologies and processes described in the invention need todemonstrate financial benefits to restaurant operators with minimalup-front investment costs, and short payback periods.

In order to address these business requirements, the invention proposesa three-tiered business model that can be tailored to meet the needs ofindividual operators within different market segments (e.g. fine dining,casual dining, convenience and fast-food, etc.)

The three-tiered model is comprised of the following options:

-   -   1. Outright Purchase: This model stipulates a one-time outright        purchase of the methodologies and capabilities via products and        services, including installation and annual ongoing support        contract.    -   2. Subsidy: The restaurant operator processes all or a portion        of all financial transactions (in particular credit cards) from        their establishment through an account provided by the supplier,        instead of through a third-party processor. The supplier will        earn the financial processing fees that were previously being        paid to the third party processor. In exchange, the operator        will receive the methodologies and capabilities at no cost.        Typically in this model the restaurant operator will have to        guarantee minimum monthly transaction processing.    -   3. Combination: This model stipulates a reduced purchase price        of the methodologies and capabilities, combined with the        processing of financial transactions via an account provided by        the supplier instead of through a third-party credit card        processor, subject to guaranteed minimum monthly transaction        processing.

While Model 1 (Outright Purchase) is typically attractive tohigher-ticket establishments in the fine dining segment, significantopportunity lies in Model 2 (Subsidy).

Model 2 provides a minimal barrier to entry for operators by requiringlittle initial capital outlay, and often a minimal change in theircurrent financial processing fees (the fees remain similar if not thesame, however they are being paid to the supplier rather than athird-party processor).

FIG. 9 illustrates a further checkout procedure 900.

Configuration

The methodology and capabilities described in the invention typicallyincorporate the following components:

-   -   A Tableside Device and/or a Handheld Device    -   Application and Web Servers for control and management of the        features    -   Wired and wireless communication mechanisms for supporting        transactions between the various devices and components    -   Payment Processing and Back Office Systems for supporting the        execution and management of payment transactions

The Tableside Device typically includes these hardware and softwarecomponents:

-   -   Backlit display with touch screen and attached stylus or display        with other forms of input devices such as a mouse and/or        keyboard    -   Integrated wired or wireless modem (CDPD, CDMA 1×RTT, GSM/GPRS,        802.11b) supporting the transmission of transactions over        various protocols including but not limited to TCP or UDP over        IP.    -   Signature Capture software    -   Integrated printing device such as a thermal printer

A typical process flow 900 for the methodology and capabilitiesdescribed in the invention is shown in FIG. 9.

Cafeteria Process

In a cafeteria style establishment in which customers physically pick uptheir own items, a methodology for improved payment mechanisms can bebeneficial.

Traditionally a customer will choose the items they wish to consume froma display case. The establishment will then manually tally the items andcharge the customer. Typically the customer will choose to select allthe items they wish to consume in one pass of the display since they donot want to have to return and start at the head of the queue for eachitem they wish to consume. This means that the customer will choose theappetizer at the same time as the main course at the same time asdessert.

Instead, using the methodologies and capabilities described in theinvention, it is possible to improve the cafeteria process. Customerscan be empowered to tally their own items by identifying themselves tothe Ordering System when they choose a selection.

Customers can either manually enter the information into a devicethemselves similar to the self ordering system previously described.Alternatively customers can use identification techniques to identifythemselves to the ordering system when they choose an item. For example,a customer could swipe their credit card which could be used as anidentity device, in the display that is associated with certain items.If a customer chooses to take two desserts, they would swipe theircredit card or identity card twice.

Other identity devices can be used. Using RFID technology, the customerwould swipe their RFID tag in front of the receptor unit associated withthe item they wish to consume. Using micro-payment techniques, thesystem uses the identity devices to associate the items chosen with acustomer. At the end of the period typically when the customer is readyto leave the establishment, a payment and settlement process will takeplace for all the items selected. This could use the customerself-checkout process previously described.

In order to prevent fraud such as customers taking items from thedisplay without identifying themselves to the system, various techniquescan be used to aid in prevention. Radio frequency devices can beembedded in the plates and serving material or even in the consumableparts that would identify when they have been removed from the display.If an identity has not been associated with the action, an alarm can beinvoked.

Alternatively the items can be physically locked in such a manner thatthey cannot be released until an identity has been associated with theitem. In this case a physical barrier such as a glass door can prevent acustomer from taking the item until they have swiped their identitycard, for example. Another methodology is to use serving dishes thatcontain metal which will be held to an electromagnet until the identityhas been associated with the item. At that point the current to theelectromagnet would be arrested and the plate could be removed.

Thus, though the invention has been described with respect to a specificpreferred embodiment, many variations and modifications will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the presentapplication. It is therefore the intention that the appended claims beinterpreted as broadly as possible in view of the prior art to includeall such variations and modifications

I claim:
 1. A method, comprising: logging a customer unit into arestaurant dining system with a mobile device; when no table at therestaurant is available: placing the customer unit on a waiting list fora table; and informing the customer unit via the mobile device that thetable is ready for the customer unit; receiving and storing at least onecustomer data element from the customer unit in a database, wherein theat least one customer data element comprises the at least one requestfrom the mobile device and at least one of a menu item selection orother item selection performed during at least one of pre-dining, diningand post-dining within the restaurant; uploading, by the restaurantdining system, a bill for the at least one item to the mobile device;and performing a self-checkout whereby payment for the at least one itemis submitted by the customer unit via the mobile device, and wherein thepayment is submitted without interaction with a restaurant worker. 2.The method of claim 1 wherein the customer unit is a single group ofpeople.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the customer unit is a singleperson.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile device is at leastone of a mobile device of the customer unit and a mobile device of therestaurant.
 5. The method of claim 1 further comprising: identifying, bythe restaurant dining system, the customer unit; managing, by therestaurant dining system, queue assignment that includes the waitinglist; and updating, by the restaurant dining system, a table managementsystem.
 6. The method of claim 1 comprising sending an interactiverestaurant menu to the mobile device, via the restaurant dining system.7. The method of claim 1 wherein the restaurant dining system includes aself-check out and payment processing system that uploads the bill, themethod further comprising: capturing, by the self-check out and paymentprocessing system, a digital signature from the mobile device.
 8. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: providing, by the restaurantdining system, a post-dining survey; collecting, by the restaurantdining system, at least one customer data element from the customer unitvia the mobile device; and storing the customer data element in thedatabase.
 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling, by therestaurant dining system, the customer unit to purchase an entertainmentunit via the mobile device and receive a confirmation of theentertainment unit purchase.
 10. A system, comprising: at least oneprocessor; memory; wherein the at least one processor and the memory arecommunicably coupled to one another; wherein the memory includesinstructions, that when read by the processor: receive and store atleast one customer data element from the customer unit in a database,wherein the at least one customer data element comprises the at leastone request from the mobile device and at least one of a menu itemselection or other item selection performed during at least one ofpre-dining, dining and post-dining within the restaurant; upload a billfor the at least one item from a restaurant to the mobile device; andsubmit payment for the at least one item by the customer unit via themobile device, wherein the payment is submitted without interaction witha restaurant worker.
 11. The system of claim 10 wherein the memoryincludes the instructions, that when read by the processor store adigital receipt in the memory.
 12. The system of claim 10 wherein themobile device includes a graphical user interface for selection of agratuity by the customer unit.
 13. The system of claim 10 wherein thememory includes the instructions, that when read by the processor storea customer data element comprising an online payment service provideraccount number in the memory.
 14. The system of claim 10 wherein whenthe restaurant is a cafeteria establishment, the system allows themobile device to perform at least one of: identify cafeteria itemsselected by the customer unit and pay for the identified cafeteriaitems.
 15. The system of claim 14 wherein the items are tagged with RFIDtags, wherein the mobile device performs at least one of: identifies theitems by utilizing the RFID tags and tallies the items by utilizing theRFID tags.
 16. The system of claim 10 further comprising a dining systemthat sends an interactive restaurant menu to the mobile device.
 17. Thesystem of claim 10 wherein submission of payment is facilitated by atleast one of: an RFID card, a credit card, a debit card, electroniccheck, an electronic wallet and an online payment.
 18. A method,comprising: identifying at least two people at a table based on inputfrom a mobile device; associating the at least two people at the tablewith at least one restaurant menu item ordered via the mobile device;receiving and storing at least one customer data element from thecustomer unit in a database, wherein the at least one customer dataelement comprises one or more of at least one request from the mobiledevice and a menu item selection or other item selection performedduring at least one of pre-dining, dining and post-dining within therestaurant; splitting a bill into at least two bills each respectivelyassociated with each one of the at least two people; presenting, via themobile device, the at least two bills to each one of the at least twopeople; and submitting, via the mobile device, payment related to the atleast two bills by at least one of the at least two people withoutinteraction with a restaurant worker.
 19. The method of claim 18 whereinassociating the at least two people at the table with the at least onerestaurant menu item is accomplished by at least one of the at least twopeople manipulating a software system graphical user interface on themobile device.
 20. The method of claim 18 wherein submitting thepayment, via the mobile device, comprises at least one of: running, by athe mobile device, a digital signature capture software and paymentprocessing software; and providing, via the mobile device, a customerreceipt.